Educator and Provider Support
Continuation Grant FY 2013
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Educator and Provider Support (EPS)
Background:
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In FY 2011, EEC combined three disparate initiatives
that funded professional development of the ECE and
OST workforce into a single Educator and Provider
Support Grant.
The RFP funded 6 EPS Partnerships, one in each EEC
region.
EPS Partnerships typically include: Regional Readiness
Centers, IHEs, Non-Profits, CCR&Rs, Head Start,
Public Schools, FCC Systems.
In FY 2011 the 6 grants totaled $3.2M.
In FY 2012 funding was reduced slightly to $3.17M
25% of grant funds for coaching and mentoring
 33% of grant funds for competency development
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Educator and Provider Support (EPS)
Investment
 FY 2011- CAYL Institute supported grantees in building
partnerships and transitioning to a new delivery system
 FY 2012 – CAYL worked with each grantee on an
Acceleration Plan to advance individual goals and
address challenges
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Region 1/Western: governance that engages the field and
develops educators’ ownership of workforce goals.
Region 2/Central: a professional development pathway for
78 bilingual educators.
Region 3/Northeast: a framework for coaching and
mentoring that defines and aligns services.
Region 4/Metro: increase visibility, relationships in the
region, and outreach to specific populations.
Region 5/Southeast: strengthen, expand communication.
Region 6/Metro Boston: enhance regional capacity to
serve ELL educators.
Educator and Provider Support (EPS)
A Unique Research Opportunity
FY 2011- UMass Boston studied the new delivery system for
professional development from its inception.
 Study’s recommendations help shape system development:
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Governance: Continue to invest in building a sustainable regional
infrastructure and to define regional authority and responsibility
related to innovation.
 Communication: Assure timely, accurate, reciprocal information flow
between EEC and EPS partnerships. Assess outreach to priority, dual
language, and FCC educators.
 Professional Development Services and Alignment: Engage
partnerships in initiatives on incentives and MOUs. Advance
understanding of strategies for aligning professional development
with QRIS.
 Use of Data to Inform Regional Practice: Continue providing data to
grantees. Increase evidence-based professional development and
support regions in evaluating the effectiveness of services.
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Complete study is available on EEC’s website.
Educator and Provider Support (EPS)
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Purpose: To provide professional development that:
 advances the professional growth (including
degrees) of educators
 enables providers (programs) to achieve
accreditation and higher QRIS levels.
Leaders: Adapt statewide initiatives to meet
regional and local needs.
3 Service Areas:
 educator and provider planning
 coaching and mentoring
 competency development
Method of Delivery: Individual Professional
Development Plans (IPDPs), coaching and
consultation, and coursework (CEU or college
credit).
Educator and Provider Support (EPS)
Data Summary
EPS FY 2011
Completed an IPDP/program plan
Educators: 1,597
Programs: 825
Received coaching and mentoring
Educators: 1,203
Programs:
541
Participated in professional
development
Educators: 6,433
EPS FY 2012 (First Quarter only)
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Completed an IPDP/program plan
Educators:
Programs:
458
79
Received coaching and mentoring
Educators:
Programs:
360
200
Participated in professional
development
Educators:
992
EPS Grants and RTTT/ELC
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From the MA Application for the ELC Grant:
“Our six regional Educator Provider Support (EPS) grantees
and the Readiness Centers serve as hubs for professional
development and are the main access points through
which early learning educators receive information about the
whole education system and specifically the standards.”
 “Our established regional structures, the Readiness Centers
and Educator Provider Support (EPS) grantees are the lead
entities responsible for providing technical assistance and
training …”
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The ELC Grant application maps next steps in
building a comprehensive workforce development
system in MA.
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These next steps will be reflected in the FY 2013
continuation grant RFP to prepare a framework for
future expansion.
EEC: Develop high quality offerings
through broad initiatives or
development of online training i.e.
Literacy birth – 3rd grade, Preschool
and Infant toddler guidelines, and
QRIS. Responding to state objectives.
EPS Grantee: Adapt broad initiatives
to their region. Conduct outreach and
distribute resources. Address local
professional development needs.
Educators and Providers:
Communicate individual and program
needs utilize resources. Engage in
continuous professional growth and
continuous program improvement.
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Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant:
Overall Grant Requirements:
 Initiatives and activities are clearly linked to
QRIS.
 Activities are labeled as Brain Building In
Progress.
 Intentional collaboration with regional
Readiness Centers (academic advising and
career counseling).
 Clarify grantees’ role as “boundary spanners”
who implement state-wide initiatives at the
regional and local levels.
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Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant:
Overall Grant Requirement:
 Prioritize services for educators in programs
serving “high needs” children and programs in
QRIS.
 Improve teacher quality by leveraging joint
professional development across the mixed
delivery system with other EEC grantees,
school districts, ESE, EI, Readiness Centers,
and others.
 Continue work on regional acceleration plans.
 Satisfaction survey of educators and
providers.
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Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant
Educator and Provider Planning:
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Broader consultation on local professional development
needs and sharing opportunities with public schools, HS,
EI, and others, in addition to CFCEs.
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Incentives for educators to participate in coursework
using MOUs and EEC’s career ladder.
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EEC’s on-line courses offered on a regular and frequent
basis:
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Core Competencies-8 modules (also in Spanish)
Preschool Learning Guidelines-7 modules (also in Spanish)
Infant and Toddler Guidelines-6 modules
EEC Language and Literacy- 13 modules
NEW! QRIS course– 6 modules (will be in other languages)
Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant
Educator and Provider Planning:
 Publicize and facilitate access to opportunities
beyond the grant like:
 WGBH’s media platform
 Children’s museums
 Library resources
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Promote anti-bias curricula and culturally and
linguistically appropriate practices to
 maintain and expand workforce diversity
 increase competency in these areas.
Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant:
Coaching and Mentoring
 Support evidenced-based coaching and
mentoring practice. Define qualifications,
content, and duration of services.
 Continue building incentives with MOUs:
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Between educators and the programs that employ
them on the mutual benefit of professional
development
Train-the-trainer agreements to disseminate core
knowledge and to imbed it in programs
Recognition of educators who are “peer leaders”
by training staff in programs who are able to
influence practice
Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant:
Coaching and Mentoring
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Intentional collaboration with new DHE Early
Education and OST College Completion
Specialist including degree completion for
ELL educators.
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Intentional collaboration with Regional
Readiness Centers on academic advising and
career counseling.
Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant
Competency Development
social-emotional
development,
English language development,
formative assessment and data use,
family engagement,
children with high needs,
STEM and
standards alignment:
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Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant
Competency Development: Examples
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Online courses linked to professional learning communities
(PLCs) though EPS grantees.
Promote anti-bias curricula, culturally and linguistically
appropriate practices to maintain and expand workforce
diversity and increase competency in these areas.
Promote English Language Development (ELD) Standards
to be developed in FY 2013.
Provide formative assessment tools and training for QRIS
(will be grant requirement for FY 2014; initial steps in the
FY 2013 grant)
Increase the number of educators trained in family
engagement (Strengthening Families) with CFCEs.
Offer online course on standards alignment (Infant/Toddler
Guidelines, Preschool Guidelines, and MA Frameworks).
Educator and Provider Support (EPS)
“Boundary Spanners” for EEC Investments
EEC Investments
EPS Role in FY 2013
QRIS and Brain Building
Provide context for initiatives and activities
Assessment
Outreach, system building, resource access
and distribution
Social-emotional
Early Literacy
Increase number of trained educators
Family Engagement
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Anti-bias curricula
Awareness, increase workforce diversity
and competency
Standards Alignment
System building across age groups
On-line courses
Offer professional learning communities
STEM
Increase capacity, resource access and
distribution
English Language
Development
Increase awareness and basic knowledge
Educator and Provider Support (EPS)
Anticipated RFP Timeline:
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November 29, 2011: Presented to Planning and
Evaluation Committee
December 13, 2011: Presented to EEC Board for
discussion
January 10, 2012: Anticipated vote by EEC Board
February 2012:RFP issued
April – May 2012: Grants awarded
July 1, 2012: Grants go into effect